Former Norwell pediatrician charged with raping patients – NBC Boston

A former pediatrician from Norwell, Massachusetts, has been charged with raping children who were his patients.

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that 68-year-old Richard Kauff has been charged with nine counts of rape of a child by force and eight counts of indecent touching and battery of a child under the age of 14.

Prosecutors say Kauff retired in 2022 after working as a pediatrician for nearly 40 years, most recently at South Shore Medical Center in Norwell, where he lives. He also treated patients at the South Shore Medical Center’s office in Kingston.

An investigation began last year after an anonymous person posted in a Facebook group that they believed they had been sexually assaulted during an investigation. Others advised that person to report it to Norwell police, prosecutors said.

Two victims reported the incidents to Norwell police, who wanted to press charges against Kauff. Subsequently, “over three dozen people came forward reporting similar experiences with Kauff,” according to the district attorney’s office.

A grand jury has brought charges against Kauff involving 15 different victims over a 23-year period, prosecutors said, adding that he will be arraigned in superior court at an unspecified date.

Kauff was released on $50,000 bail. The conditions include that he have no contact with the victims and stay away from the South Shore Medical Center facilities in Norwell and Kingston. He is also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 and from leaving Massachusetts. He must also surrender his passport and medical license.

It was not immediately clear whether Kauff had a lawyer who could comment on the allegations against him.